Mrs Carys Jennings

Professional biography

Carys' MA research focussed on gender differences during free play activities and began her interest in pupil voice, pupil choice and young children's wellbeing.

Carys is currently writing her EdD entitled 'The happy child' wellbeing is again the focus and the research involves young participants sharing their views and experiences of being in school.

Her work on this research to date has been written as a blog contribution to Early Years Reviews.

Carys' reaearch interests include wellbeing,  pupil voice, talk time and enabling environments. Within her research Carys aims to ensure children are able to articulate and verbalise their ideas by using a multi method approach. This affords the young participants opportunities to share their understanding and living worlds through their drawings, paintings, photographs and discussions.

As part of her teacher educator roles she has collaborated on various projects including a poster presentation at the TEAN conference and co-authoring an article submission involving the use of video technology to support micro teaching within teacher education.

Carys has also authored a chapter within the SAGE textbook publication 'An Introduction to Play' (2021).

Being a teacher educator Carys' focus is to nurture, mentor and support the workforce of the future ensuring they are given a sound knoweledge base for their journey into teaching.

Carys has worked collaborativey with education authority leads on various projects involving the early years and with colleagues to create resources for use in schools.

She has recently been working on an Open learn mentoring module to support student teacher mentors as part of their own professional journeys.

Defis, N., Glover, A., Jennings, C., Stewart, S., Wallis, R, Craggs, B., Hay, C., Linton, B., Powell, T. and Williams, A. (2022) Using video technology to support micro-teaching and reflection in Initial Teacher Education, Journal or Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change, 8(1). Available at: https://journals.studentengagement.org.uk/index.php/studentchangeagents/issue/view/80 (Accessed 10 August 2022).

Jennings, C. (2022)  These are our stories: affording children and teachers' voices in participatory research. BERA. https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/these-are-our-stories-affording-children-and-teachers-voices-in-participatory-research

Jennings, C. in Waters-Davies, J. (ed) (2022) Introduction to Play.London: Sage.

Jennings, C. (2017) Digital natives or social outcasts? Yr Athrofa.https://athrofa.cymru/2017/05/30/digital-natives-or-social-outcasts  

Carys works with colleagues from partner schools across Wales supporting student teachers collaboratively on their journey towards qualified teacher status. She is also a member of the Early Years and Primary Advisory group at the OU that includes members from across all four nations, in addition to being a staff member of the Student voice and wellbeing group within the faculty of ECYS.

Carys has worked on and led various projects with Peniarth Press, co-authored publications for Welsh language learners with Gomer Press, and more recently with GRAFFEG press producing supporting materals for teachers.

She is an external examiner at University South Wales for the BA (Hons) Initial Teacher Education with QTS, BA (Anrh) Addysgu Gychwynnol Athrawon (SAC) and the PGCE programmes that commence in 2022.